Software Quality Engineer - Media

The job

LIVE Live feed (private-sector employer) Source: The Muse public API · Data: listed 2026-10-20

Job description

Imagine what you could do here! At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming extraordinary products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. If you bring passion and dedication to your work, we want to hear from you.

Every photo, video call, movie, and song experienced across hundreds of millions of Apple devices runs through the media pipeline our team helps protect. The Media Frameworks Quality Engineering team sits at the heart of the Media, Graphics & Compute (MGC) organization - the foundation that powers immersive spatial video on Vision Pro, professional-grade media workflows on Mac, and the everyday moments people capture and share on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and AirPods/Beats.

We're looking for a self-motivated Software Quality Engineer who's energized by complexity and driven to get the details right before a single customer ever sees them. You'll be hands-on from day one: designing and building test apps in Swift, architecting automation in Python, and shaping the quality bar for media features while they're still being invented. This isn't testing after the fact - it's engineering quality into the product alongside the teams building the future of media on Apple platforms.

If you thrive in fast-moving, ambiguous environments, love solving hard technical problems, and want your work to be felt by nearly every person who picks up an Apple device, we'd love to talk.

Description

In this role, you'll be the last line of defense between a great idea and a great customer experience - the person who ensures every movie plays flawlessly, every FaceTime call connects the people who matter most, and every photo and video someone cherishes is exactly as they remember it. You'll craft comprehensive test plans for features still taking shape, drive functional and regression testing to catch what others miss, and build automation that scales quality across an ever-growing set of workflows. When something's not right, you'll be the one who finds it, documents it with precision, and communicates it clearly to the engineers and stakeholders who need to act on it - turning rigorous testing into world-class media experiences that hundreds of millions of people rely on every day.

Responsibilities:

Define functional and performance test strategies for new features from the ground up, shaping quality standards before code ever ships

Build and extend Python automation libraries to scale test coverage across new and existing functionality

Execute manual and automated tests to validate features against real-world usage and edge cases

Triage and report test failures with the precision and clarity engineering needs to act fast

Deliver clear, data-driven quality assessments on both new features and existing technologies to inform release decisions

Partner directly with development engineers to root-cause and debug complex issues

Build strong relationships across cross-functional teams, becoming a trusted quality voice throughout the product lifecycle

Preferred Qualifications

Strong proficiency in Python or another object-oriented programming language, with the judgment to know when and how to apply it

Hands-on experience designing, developing, and executing automated test suites

Excellent communication skills, including active listening, open-minded collaboration, and clear, compelling articulation of ideas and results

Demonstrated technical leadership paired with the versatility to contribute effectively as part of a team

A genuine passion for quality and a relentless commitment to delivering experiences that go beyond "good enough"

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

1+ years of professional software industry experience

Pay & Benefits

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $166,600 and $296,000, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple's discretionary employee stock programs. Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You'll also receive benefits including: Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses - including tuition. Additionally, this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation. Learn more about Apple Benefits

Note: Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Explore around this job

Field: Technology Sub-niche: Software engineering All jobs at Apple Jobs in California Jobs in San Diego, CA San Diego city guide California state guide San Diego County economy

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About the role

This is a Mid Level role in the Technology field (Software engineering) at Apple. Mid-level roles usually expect some years of relevant experience and the ability to work with limited supervision.

We could not match this job title to one occupation in the official wage statistics, so no pay estimate is shown. Pay is not in the source listing; ask the employer for the range and compare in the 240 job niches.

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How to prepare and behave

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• Read the whole description and match your examples to its requirements; use the same words the posting uses where they are true for you.
• Research the employer before the interview: what it does, who its customers are and recent news; prepare two or three questions about the work.
• Arrive early (or log in early for a video call), dress one step above the daily dress code, and test your camera and audio beforehand.
• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
• Be honest about gaps; say what you did to learn and how fast you can close them.
• Ask about the team, the first 90 days, how success is measured and the schedule; do not open with salary and time off.
• When pay comes up, know the market range for the occupation and your lowest acceptable offer before you answer; ask for the full package in writing.
• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.
• Have code, data work or projects you can show, and be ready to think aloud: many technical interviews test how you reason, not only the answer.

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The city

The job is in San Diego, CA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How San Diego compares. Among the 145 largest places in California, San Diego is #2 by population, #17 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #116 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #39 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, San Diego County, is #8 of 58 counties for average pay ($82,854).

The place in numbers

San Diego has 1,389,526 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 3.5% of the population of California. It covers 326 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 4,261 people per square mile. The median age is 36.2, 4% younger than the state median (36.2 against 37.9).

Housing

The median gross rent is $2,313 a month (rent plus utilities), 14% above the state median ($2,313 against $2,036). Over a year that is 25.7% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $906,700, which is 8.4 times the median household income ($108,077); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 47.3% of households own their home, 15% below the state average (47.3% against 55.9%).

Work and pay

The San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metropolitan area has 1,538,060 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $58,690 a year, 15% above the national median ($58,690 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are food preparation and serving related (161,910 jobs, median $38,840); office and administrative support (155,940 jobs, median $52,940); sales and related (124,550 jobs, median $44,010). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (1.7 times) and architecture and engineering (1.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,440) and computer and mathematical ($129,520). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of San Diego County was 4.7%. 65.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in San Diego County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 62.6% drive alone, 2.7% use public transit, 3.5% walk, 21.2% work from home. 9.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 51% below the state average (9.5% against 19.4%).

People and education

51.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 38% above the state share (51.0% against 37.1%). 25.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 7% below the state share (25.1% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 11.0%, 8% below the state rate (11.0% against 12.0%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 77°F (24.9°C), and the coolest is Dec at 51°F (10.7°C). About 320 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Feb is the wettest month (70 mm) and Jun the driest (2 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: El Cajon (10 miles, rent 20% lower); Chula Vista (15 miles, rent 4% lower); San Marcos (22 miles, similar rent); Escondido (22 miles, rent 12% lower). Rent differences are against San Diego; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to San Diego →California guideAll jobs in San Diego

Official links for San Diego

• Official website of San Diego: sandiego.gov
• Census Bureau data profile for San Diego
• Official website of San Diego County: sandiegocounty.gov
• Official state website: ca.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: California

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

Where to live

CITY Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Places within 50 miles (straight line) of San Diego, CA that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.

Career paths

We could not match this title to one occupation, so here are the other sub-niches in Technology, where your skills may carry over:

Cybersecurity (366) Data, analytics and AI (1991) Cloud, IT and infrastructure (504) Product management (412)

Distances

CITY Calculation (straight line) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (coordinates) · Data: 2024

How far San Diego, CA is from the 20 largest US cities, in straight-line miles (not driving distance). Click a column to sort.

Nearby cities with open jobs (within 120 miles)

The employer

Apple is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

Company description (from The Muse): Working at Apple means doing more than you ever thought possible and having more impact than you ever imagined.

size: Large Size; industries: Consumer Goods & Services, Information Technology, Software, Technology; locations on The Muse: Cupertino, CA.

It is among the 200 largest US-headquartered employers in our list, with about 166,000 employees worldwide (year not stated). Company page with headquarters, state economy and official links →

Official links for Apple

• Official website of Apple: apple.com/at
• SEC EDGAR: company filings search
• Official state website: ca.gov

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

The employer's profile on The Muse →

What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at Apple

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Software engineering

More jobs in San Diego, CA

All Software engineering jobs → · All Technology sub-niches →

FAQ

What is the Software Quality Engineer - Media job at Apple?

A mid level role in technology (software engineering) listed 19 days ago. The full description is on this page and on The Muse.

Where is this job?

San Diego, CA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on The Muse" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in San Diego is $2,313 a month and median household income $108,077 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-10-20 (19 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse software engineering jobs in California.

Sources and terms

• Job data: The Muse public API (listing dated 2026-10-20). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by The Muse, the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)